Luton v Chelsea predictions, odds and betting tips: Kenilworth Road clash could open up in second half

Paddy Power are offering £40 in free bets on Luton v Chelsea. You can grab your free bet here. We’ve included instructions on how to grab your offer later on in this article.

Where to watch Luton v Chelsea

You can watch Luton v Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday December 30, live on TNT Sports 1 at 12.30pm

Match prediction & best bet

Over 1.5 second-half goals
3pts 5-6 bet365

You can bet on Luton v Chelsea here and get £40 in free bets with Paddy Power

Luton v Chelsea odds

Luton 11-2
Chelsea 8-15
Draw 17-5

Odds correct at time of publishing

Luton v Chelsea team news

Luton
Jordan Clark has recovered from illness but Marvelous Nakamba, Issa Kabore, Reece Burke, Dan Potts and Tom Lockyer are sidelined.

Chelsea
Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling return from suspension and Mykhailo Mudryk, Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernandez will be assessed. Reece James, Ben Chilwell, Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella, Robert Sanchez, Trevoh Chalobah and Carney Chukwuemeka are injured.

Luton v Chelsea predictions

Chelsea's last two Premier League matches have produced late drama and that trend may well continue when the Blues head to Luton in Saturday's early kick-off.

They are hot favourites to take three points at Kenilworth Road despite losing their last four away games at Newcastle, Manchester United, Everton and Wolves, who won 2-1 with both teams scoring in added time at the end of the second half.

Chelsea bounced back from that Christmas Eve setback at Molineux with a 2-1 home win over Crystal Palace on Wednesday although they needed an 89th-minute penalty from Noni Madueke to seal victory.

Key forwards Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling are back after missing the Palace game due to suspension. Summer signing Christopher Nkunku made his first start for the Blues in that game after suffering a serious knee injury in pre-season.

Nkunku came off the bench to score at Wolves and the France international should help Chelsea convert more of their goalscoring opportunities in the second half of the season.

According to the official Premier League website, the Blues are top of the Big Chances Missed table with 40, four more than any other top-flight club.

Chelsea's defensive injuries, patchy away record and capacity for self-destruction make them easy to swerve at the odds against a Luton side who have beaten Newcastle and Sheffield United in their last two matches.

The Hatters have been competitive against the top teams at Kenilworth Road this term, losing 2-1 to Manchester City on December 10 and conceding crucial injury-time goals in a 1-1 draw with Liverpool and a 4-3 defeat to Arsenal.

Remarkably, only 14 of the 55 goals scored in Luton's matches have come in the first half and backing over 1.5 second-half goals looks the best bet when they face Chelsea.

They have conceded 26 goals after the break this season, compared with just eight in the first half of matches, so Chelsea should be confident of exploiting gaps in the home defence as the game goes on.

Lapses in concentration at the back are understandable given Luton's defensive absentees and the intensity of the Premier League although they have scored their fair share of late goals recently.

Four of the five goals in their 3-2 win at Sheffield United came after the hour-mark while last month's 2-1 home win over Palace was goalless until the 72nd minute.

There have been at least two second-half strikes in eight of Luton's last ten matches and Sterling and Nicolas Jackson scored in the 68th and 75th minutes of Chelsea's 3-0 win in August's reverse fixture. 

Key stat

41 of the 55 goals scored in Luton's matches this season have come in the second half.

Probable teams

Luton (3-4-2-1): Kaminski; Osho, Mengi, Bell; Doughty, Barkley, Lokonga, Giles; Townsend, Morris; Adebayo
Subs: Brown, Andersen, Ogbene, Mpanzu, Chong, Woodrow, Berry

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; Gusto, Disasi, Silva, Colwill; Caicedo, Gallagher; Sterling, Nkunku, Palmer; Jackson
Subs: Mudryk, Madueke, Badiashile, Maatsen, Gilchrist, Lavia, Broja

Inside info

Luton

Star man Ross Barkley
Top scorer Elijah Adebayo
Penalty taker Carlton Morris
Card magnet Ross Barkley
Assist ace Alfie Doughty
Set-piece aerial threat Elijah Adebayo

Chelsea

Star man Christopher Nkunku
Top scorer Nicolas Jackson
Penalty taker Cole Palmer
Card magnet Nicolas Jackson
Assist ace Conor Gallagher
Set-piece aerial threat Axel Disasi

Luton v Chelsea bet builder predictions

Both teams to score
Both teams have scored in 11 of Luton's last 14 league games and Chelsea have conceded ten times in their last four away matches

Half-time draw
Nine of Chelsea's last ten league games have been level at the break and Luton have conceded only eight first-half goals in 18 matches

Ross Barkley over 1.5 shots
Luton's ex-Chelsea midfielder scored in the 4-3 defeat to Arsenal and had eight shots in their last two matches against Newcastle and Sheffield United

Pays out at 13-2 with bet365

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